what is the big bang and how do i understand it?

Hi,This is a message from a physics-virgin.I'm a biologically-oriented member of the forum and I would be grateful if people here more knowledgeable about physics could help me to understand "big bang theory".I have in the past tried to read a few pop-science books on the subject, and don't really feel that I understand the basic idea.I should say that I'm happy to look at maths but I doubt I'm up to the standard required for a proper understanding of the theory, so would like a verbal/conceptual description (if such a thing is possible). However I'm not a stupid person. If it is possible for a lay-person to understand the big bang, then it is probably possible for me to understand it.On a side-note, given that i doubt I will ever be able to understand the maths of modern physics, am I doomed never to fully appreciate the theory of the big bang?Thanks for any help you can give; pointers to articles, books, websites or whatever would be greatly appreciated.Mickps. i should say that my current knowledge of physics is wholly newtonian... I can understand cannon balls firing in neat trajectories, and rotating balls on string, pendulums, etc., but that's about it.This message has been edited by mick, 08-03-2005 09:10 PM